What is your best time-saving tip?
Ah, this is an easy one - Meal plans! They save time on grocery store trips, and the nightly angst of "what's for dinner?" A meal plan seems so much harder and time-consuming than it actually is. It is a small investment for the amount of time you save.
I have a confession - I really hate going to the grocery store! What a waste of time! :) When WeaverDad and I first married and I was working full-time, the last thing I wanted to do at the end of a workday was go to the grocery store, walk around the entire store in uncomfortable "nice" shoes, stand in line with all the other people shopping for dinner, get home at 7:00 and THEN start cooking dinner. (I ate a lot of cereal when I was single. *wink*) And now that I'm staying home with the kids, I get to wear comfortable shoes and I can go to the store when I want to which helps, BUT, I get to bring the kids with me! Enough said, right?
I've done meal plans for 11 years now. As I write that, that freaks me out a little bit - but it's true. My husband can taste if meat has been frozen (I know!) so I shop by the week so that I can serve fresh meat as much as possible. I've done it several different ways. When we were first married, we ate out quite a bit, so I only planned 4 days a week. Then, 5. We moved to a place a little more remote and going out wasn't as easy, so I planned 6. Punkin arrived and we never went out, so I upped it to 7. Hubby was laid off, and I planned very carefully for awhile, checking the sales flyers and doing some bulk buying.
When SnugBug arrived, I found that I procrastinated going to the store because it felt like so much effort to plan the meals. So, I continued shopping by the week - but I planned for a month at a time. My original system was that I cut cardstock into 2x2 squares. I went through our recipes and wrote the names on the cards. Then I could lay them out on the table and arrange them as needed. I included cards that said "open", "new", and "out". After I arranged things for the month, I would transfer the names to a calendar page, and then when it came time to do my grocery list, I knew what to shop for! This worked well for me and I did that for almost 2 years.
Then, we started homeschooling and I started my business, and finding time to do the monthly meal plan became difficult. So, I came up with a 6 week meal plan. It's based loosely on this formula:
1 mexican
1 italian
1 meat & potatoes
1 fish
1 veggie
1 slow cook (for activity night where we don't get home until after 6:00)
1 easy
I don't plan nights of eating out, but I sure don't miss out on them when they are offered (or when I can finagle them.) I just skip a meal from the next week's list when I'm making my grocery list, and include the missed meal the following week.
And, since I personally find it easier to modify someone else's ideas instead of starting from scratch - here is what it looks like:
Week 1
Crescent Picadillo Bundles
Spinach Lasagna
Meatloaf
Scallops & Rice
Veggie Night (example: spinach/ cornbread, pasta salad w/protein, corn)
Frozen slow-cook (straight from the freezer section)
Angel Hair Pasta with Tomato & Basil
Week 2
Fiesta Casserole
Spaghetti
Hamburger Steak
Salmon, rice & veggie
Antipasto Plate
Slow cook pork chops
Soup & Sandwiches
Week 3
Beef Tacos
Brunswick Stew
Chicken Marsala
Tilapia, broc
Chicken Pot Pie
Hot Dogs & Rice
Frozen slow-cook
Week 4
Chicken Tacos
Bow-Tie Lasagna
S&B BBQ pork chops
Chicken Squares
Beef & Noodle Casserole
Roast, veggies
Tortellini w/ alfredo sauce, salad
Week 5
Frito Soup
Spaghetti
Rotisserie chicken
New fish
Cheese Enchiladas
Frozen slow cook
Soup & Sandwiches
Week 6
Texas Hash
Pizza
Simple Marinated Chicken
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes with Ham
New veggie
Frozen slow cook
Mexican Chicken Salad
I know some of you use meal plans. Please share what works for you!
Happy meal planning!
